Ignition system.



L. LANGNER.

IGNlTiON SYSTEM.

APPLICAHON HLED SEPT. 22, 1913.

L259,5Q& Patented Mar. 19,1918.

' from the battery at increase the efficiency brating spark LAWRENCELANGNER, OF NEW YORK,

.. ASSIGNOB TO THE DAYTON ENGINEERING LABORATORIES COMPANY, ACORPOBATIQN 0F GHID.

IGNITION SYSTEM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LAwRnn on Lax-oxen, a subject of the King ofEngland, residing at New York city county of New York. and-State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inlgnitionSystems, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in ignition systems for engines,and more particularly to combined ignition and starting systems for theinternal combustion engines of automobiles or the like.

. It is a well known fact that magneto ignit-ion systems presentdesirable features of advantage, in that the intensity of the sparkingincreases with increased engine speeds. On the other hand, the enginecan not be started so satisfactorily with magneto ignition as withvibrating spark battery ignition.

Qne of the objects of my invention is to permit of starting eifieientlywith magneto ignition. Another object is to accomplish this withoutaltering the construction. of magnetos as placed upon the market to-dayby magneto manufacturers.

The universal adoption of self-starting devices for automobiles hascaused some controversy as to desirable cranking speeds. Starting devicemanufacturers making start.- ing devices, which crank at high speeds,claim that there is an advantage in doing so, owing to the possibilityof cranking with magneto ignition. However, excessively powerfulstarting motors are required for this purpose. and the heavy currenttaken the moment of starting is liable to damage the battery.Manufacturers of starting devices which crank at lower speeds claim thatthey car use a smaller starting device with consequent advantages ineconomy. efficiency and saving in space, the engine being started upon\ibattery ignition.

Afurther object of the present invention is to arrange whereby astarting device. cranking the engine at low speeds, will be able tostart the engine upon magneto.

A further object of the invention is to of magneto ignition. enerallyand articularly in the case where uel heavier tl ian gasolene isemployed.

An additional object of the invention is Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Mar. 19", 1918-.

Application filed September 22, 1913. Serial. No. 750,968.

to prevent the permanent magnets of mag neto ignition machines fromlosing their magnetism.

In accordance with my invention. l pro vide electrical means forincreasing the sparking strength (if-magneto ignition inachines, and Ido this by leading current from a battery or other source of electricityinto the magneto. In one embodiment of my invention, I provide thepermanent magnet of the magneto machine with one or more electromagneticwindings, through which the battery current flows, thereby increasingthe intensity of the magnetic flux of the machine. In some cases. I. donot interfere with the construction of magnetos as placed upon themarket. but provide an electromagnet attachment which. serves the samepurpose.

some preferred cmbodii'nents of the invention are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in. which Figures '1. 2 and are diagrams ofdifferent electrical systems, while Figs. 4. and 6,.illustrate threeforms of electro-niagnetic attachments in end illustration, parts beingshown in section.

Referring to Fig. 1. the dynamo l charges the battery 2, to which isconnected the winding 3 of the magneto attachment 4.

' he winding 3 can be cut-out of circuit by opening the switch 5.

Fig. 2, shows the invention applied to the well known Delco system ofstarting and lighting, described in the application of Charles FranklinKettering, 721,237, filed september 19, 1.912. lV-hen the startingdevice acts as a motor to start the engine, the contact 5 is moved tothe dotted line position 7. Current then flows from battery 2 throughlead 8. motor armature winding 9, series field 10, bar 11. contact (3.bar 12 and lead 13 back to battery.

It will be noted that the contact plate 6 is an L-shapcd construction,such that when moved to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2, thelower part of the plate bridges across the insulating portion shownbetween the plate 11 and the terminal 11. To this terminal ll. isconnected the lead wire 11". which connects with the magneto winding 3.By this means. not only does the current come from one side of thebattery through the starting motor for the starting opera- Serial K0.

tion, when the contact plate is shifted to the right in Fig. 6, but alsoa portion of this current, dividing at the point 11, goes through themagneto winding 3 and back to the battery. This increases the intensityof the magneto sparking at the moment of starting, so that if desired,the starting device can crank on magneto with a low cranking speed.

On returning the contact plate 6 to the full line position of Fig. 1,the starting motor is now acting as a generator, and no further currentpasses through the magneto winding 3, because the contact is broken bythe shifting of the plate 6 to the left in Fig. 2. But, if desired,current can be sent into the winding 3 while the engine is running, byclosingthe switch'lfi.

17 is the generator armature winding, and 18 is the shunt field windingof the Delco motor-generator, the construction of which is generallywell known, and is described in the Kettering application just abovereferred to. I

Fig. 3 shows my invention applied to a two unit equipment comprising aseparate dynamo and motor. Upon closing the switches 19, current flowsfrom the battery 2 charged by the dynamo 1, into the motor 20 andwinding 3. When the engine is running and the switches 19 are opened,the magneto may still be energized, if desired, by closing the switch30.

In case it is not desirable to alter the construction of the magnetomachine, I may provide electro-magnetic attachments adapted to be fittedupon the magneto, so that where a starting device is fitted on an engineequipped with the usual magneto, this same magneto may be employed forthe purposes oi my invention.

In Fig. 4, which shows a magneto of the well known Bosch type, I haveshown an attachment in the form of a frame or strap 21, prcieraljily ofmagnetic material, Which is adapted to fit over the permanent magnets ofthe machine. This strap is bent around, at each side thereof, to form ahousing 93 for a soft iron core 24, and around this core and housing isarranged the winding 3. The terminals 25 serve for screwing theattachment on to the magneto.

In Fig. 5 the attachment is in form of a non-magnetic brass strap 21tied together at the upper end, and bent to provide a housing For theelectro-magnet which is maintained in said housing by means of pins 26extending from the core 27 through holes in I ho housing.

instead of providing a separate core. I may form the strap of soft ironand bend it :ls shown in Fig. (3 to form the core.

The increased sparking effect of magneto ignition system in accordancewith the invention, is particularly valuable con.-

eas es ncction with the use of heavy fuels for internal combustionengines. As shown in Fig. $5, the intensity of the spark can be variedat Kill in accordance with the fuel being used, by means of the rheostat32.

The advantages of using this invention, whether for hand or mechanicalstarting, or for running conditions, will be apparent to those skilledin the art. Other modifications may be made without departing from thegeneric scope of my invention.

It will be understood that in the claims which follow I use the termhigh tension magneto ignition machine to mean a machine in which thehigh tension sparking impulses are actually generated in the machineitself, and not by means of a coil external to themachine, as in lowtension ignition machines. By magneto ignition ma chine Imean a machinein which the magnetic field is normally derived from a perinanentelectric magnet.

What I claim is:

1. In an ignition system, the combination with a magneto, of asupplementary electromagnetic device for said magneto; an cnginestarting device; and means for simultaneously causing the operation ofsaid starting device ind energizing said electromagnetic device.

2. In an ignition system, the combination with a magneto, capable ofsupplying sparks eliicient for starting when driven at high speed, and astarting device adapted to drive said magneto at low speed; and meansfor increasing the sparking efficiency of the magneto.

3. In an ignition system, the combination with a magneto, ofsupplemental means for augmenting the normal sparking efficiency oi themagneto, and selective means for utilizing the normal magneto, or thenormal plus said supplemental means.

4. In an ignition system, the con iljiination with a magneto, of currentsupply independent of said magneto; an elcc'iro-magnetic deviceassociated. with the magnetic field of the magneto and controlled bysaid. independent current supply; ant. means for opening and closingsaid circuit so as to temporarily increase the strength of the field ofsaid magneto and thus increase the strength of the current. producedthereby.

In an ignition system for explosive engines, the combination with amagneto, of: a starter for the engine; coils around the magnet of saidmagneto; a current supply indcpendent of said magneto; and means forconnecting and disconnecting said current supply to said coils totcnnJoi-arily increase the magnetic field oi said magneto when thestarter is operated.

b. an ignition syslem tor explosive cirgines, the coml'iiiiation with anmgnolo: of coils associated with the i'ield of said may note; a sourceof electric currentnnd a motor in circuit therewith; and means forconnecting said motor and current source in circuit with said coils, soas to increase the tor for starting said engine, a source of cur rentsupply for said motor, coils associated with the fields of-said magneto,and means for connecting said coils and said motor simultaneously tosaid source of supply, as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

M. LAWSON DYER, THOMAS J. BYRNn.

Copies oi this patent may be obtained fer five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissloner e)? Patents,

' Washington, D. C.

